I love the Leuchturm 1917 A4 Master Notebook with a dotted grid but the smaller B5 dotted grid notebook from Japan, the Maruman 104 Mnemosyne, is also perfect and easier to travel with.
Likes it
I love my Maruman Mnemosyne 105 (not the 182 which is single sided) notebooks (I've been using them for years). The great thing about them is that the paper is thin but there is no bleed through even with fountain pens. They're also much more practical for ideating than a Leuchtturm because they are perforated for tearing off. With a Leuchtturm there is a hesitation to write because you don't want to waste paper or mess up a nice notebook, but the Mnemosyne there is no such hesitation (even though it's nice paper). https://www.jetpens.com/Maruman-Mnemosyne-N105-Notebook-A5-D... Also, although I've been a fountain pen enthusiast for years (LAMY, TWSBI, Pilot), I find I can get the same quality of writing from a inky rolling ball pen like the Pilot Precise V5 RT. They're much cheaper and easier to carry around than a fountain pen. https://www.target.com/p/pilot-3ct-precise-v5-rolling-ball-p...
Likes it
I am fond of the Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks. Rhodia is a classic and I have nothing negative to say but prefer the “smoothness” of the maruman paper.
Likes it
The Pilot Manhattan fountain pen in medium nib is the best fountain pen I've ever used. Combined with a Maruman Mnemosyne notebook (also from Jet Pens) it's perfect for journaling.
Likes it
I use Mnemosyne notebooks ( https://www.jetpens.com/Maruman-Mnemosyne-Notebooks/ct/765 ) from JetPens. The paper works great with any pen or pencil and the spiral binding allows them to lay flat.
Doesn’t like it
Where can you find Rhodia for prices similar to what GP was talking about (brands aimed at students)? Those are typically under $4 - Target has several under $1. Clairefontaine: Same question. I know it has a great reputation for fountain pen ink, but I had bad experiences with it. In a sense, it's too good. Line strokes tend to be thinner than most other papers. I can't write on them with my F or EF nib - I get a lot of skipping. Others have had the same experience - the paper is just not at all absorbent (hence absolutely no feathering). I had a similar experience with Maruman Mnemosyne. (Just my opinion - I know there are folks who love it). I often use Figurare - it's similarly priced, although some of them feather more than others. I just tried Denik, and it's decent. Not as smooth as Clairefontaine (nothing is!), but handles the ink well enough.